Friction shock absorber



Dec. 5, 1950 s. B. HASELTINE 2,532,363

FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Jan. 18, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Znve raj 07': Sfiacu .B. Easel Zine.

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBER Stacy B. Haseltine, La Grange, 111., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 18. 1946, Serial No. 641,994

le thwise movement of the friction elements.

toward each other, wherein lengthwise separation of said elements is limited by cooperating retaining means on said elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber, comprising a pair of relatively lengthwise slidable friction elements, wherein the friction elements forming the pair are of identical'design, but reversely arranged end for end, and each element has a relatively long, continuous friction surface engagin a corresponding friction surface on the other element, and the means which limits lengthwise separation of the friction elements comprises counterpart lugs on said elements which are engageable with each other.

-A still further object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber as set forth in the preceding paragraph, wherein the lugs which limit lengthwise separation of the friction elements are arranged on the friction surface sides of the elements, each lug protruding from the friction surface of the corresponding element and bein guided in a groove provided in the other friction element, whereby the area of contact of the cooperating friction surfaces of the two elements is progressively increased as the elements are slid lengthwise toward each other during compression of the device, thereby providing a more efficient mechanism.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber of the character hereinbefore described wherein frictional contact is also provided between the movement limiting lugs and friction elements, thus adding to the area of frictional contact of said elements.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claim hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this speclfication, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved shock absorber. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of one of the friction elements. Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 1, illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 2 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring first to the embodiment of the in vention illustrated in Figures 1,2, and 3, the improved shock absorber, as shown, comprises broadly two similar friction elements or posts A and B and a spring resistance C.

The friction posts A and B are identical, each post comprising a vertically disposed heavy plate I0 having a, base portion or member ll, and-a laterally extending, annular flange l2 projecting from said base portion, concentric with the vertical central axis of the device and forming a follower member integral with said post.

The two posts A and B are reversely arranged. that is, the post B is inverted with respect to the position of the post A. As shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 3, the follower member I! of the post A is located at the bottom of the device and has the friction plate l0 upstanding therefrom, while the follower member ofthe post B is located at the upper end of the device, as shown in Figure 1, and has the friction plate Ill depending therefrom.

The friction plate [0 of each post presents a flat friction surface B on the inner side thereof which extends lengthwise of the same and is inclined, as shown. The friction surfaces I3l3 of the two posts are in intimate contact with each other, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. At the free end portion of the friction plate of each post, a laterally inwardly extending, central stop lug I4 is provided, which projects from the friction surface l3 and engages with the corresponding stop lug 14 of the other friction post. The friction surface 13 of the plate ID of each post is provided with a lengthwise extending slot [5 immediately in back of the lug l4 and of a size to freely accommodate and form a guideway for the lug ll of the other post. In order to strengthen the friction plate structure, the friction plate Ill of each post is reenforced on its outer side by a longitudinally extending, central rib [6, which extends from the base portion n to the outer end of the plate. The rib I6 is preferably slightly inclined toward the vertical axis of the mechanism, each post being thus, in effect, tapered toward its outer end. The follower members of the two posts are provided with central pockets or seats ii-l'l adapted to receive the usual spring. cen' teringprojections of the top and bOtbOm SPI'DJE follower plates of the truck spring cluster of a railway car.

being on the lower side thereof.

At the friction surface side of each post, the flange l2 thereof is thickened, as shown, to provide a crown l8, the crown 18 of the flange l2 of the post A being on the upper side of said flange and that of the flange 12 of the post B 5 The flange or follower l 2 of each post thus presents an inner surface which has fraised and depressed portions. which are respectively at opposite sides of the post. In the assembled condition of the device, the crowns of the respective posts are at diametrically opposite sides of the device, the crown of the follower of the post A being at the left hand side, as shown in Figure l, and the, of the follower of the post B being at the righ't'ha'nd sidel The spring resistance C, which is in the form of a heavy helical coil, surroundsfth'e posts A and B and bears at its top and bottom ends on the follower members I2-i2 of said posts, reve t be n so .iio ii il t the r s ective tangs'the'reof al rfe 's'eat'ejd'pnth depressedpor: tions of the iz iner'suri'aces offth'e flanges i2 i2 with the ext emism: each'ta'ng adjacent the crowhf'iB ofthe corresponding"follower member 7 and the 'ad'j acent coil of' the 's'pijing beyond the end (if said'tangsateti' crown The crowns |8I 8 of the post s h 'aiidgB th'us fi ll in the 'so canetfig iew'sbott' at opposite sides or the toned spring? I H I v V The inter'or di'anitfbff the chest spring '0 and tits s'bi'adfof the (imitating friction posts are such that the inn sides" of the top and 'bot-' tom oils of the far la'terallyiiiwar'dly on the vertical wa t; the 'Ba'sepoi't'iohs the c"6il at the lower end of the spring bears on the yertiafiiialfof'the base; of the post A 40 at tee"'iignduianttsrde" 6f the device," the spreazd of" the p'o'stsfbein'g" sil'cli"that' the jipper' end porti6no'ftlie s'priifg i's dis'pladed'slightly to the left and the lower end portio'fifslightly tdth right; "At the si'dewf'thie 'ba'se p'ortloiYo'f' each post trib js'itte' triat't'oittjactr g tn-e iii'rie'r side er the coil spr'i'rigfs'flbstaiitial grea est-e is provided between 'the s'ide"dge'6f' the "base "I I" and "the innefs'ide'of'said spit to assure proper rum: tioning'foffth'e latter 'iirpressing th post's against eachotliefrI The spring C'yieldifig'ly'opposes relative m'o've'ziientof the posts'tptvara each other and is prefiably'llhdfirlitl'dl compression? In a's's'eifihlih'g'tlie meciianismithe sp'iing' C is first pieced after the friction plate "i U'of'the post A. The po tB is'tHri aS'SSI'iibld with the other parts inserting the fr-iction'plate'Ki of the Sametifivliivafdly ivithin th foils 6f the Spring,

Th 'mpioy'ef g i shock 'absorbjer preferably replacs onejor m rej i thesprm Ul'lits r a truck sprin'g'c uster', bei'l ig interposed between the usual top and bottom spring plates which cooperate with said cluster; hoWeven's'everal of such shock absorbing units may be employed in a'single separati hand'side 6i"tli'e 'd'evic'ef asset's Ii Figure 1, and posts Kan B' he'rein store"dettfitdjexcpt 4 spring cluster, replacing two or more units of the latter.

The operation of my improved shock absorber is as follows: Upon the spring cluster of the truck of a railway car being compressed between the spring follower plates of the cluster, the shocl; absorbing unit, which isdispose between said ,follower platesglis compressed; erewith, thereby forcingth e post B downwardly toward the post A against the resistance of the spring C. High frictional resistance is thus produced. As the compression continues, the pressure on the friction surfaces increases, due to the inclination of the.cooperating friction surfaces of the posts, therebyprogre'ssively increasing the frictional resistance During the described relative lengthwise movement of the posts on their friction surfaces, during compression of the mechanism, the required frictional resistance is developedtoeffectively snub the action of.the truck,, springs, the areas of frictionalccnt act increas'- ing as the compression progresses.. Upon release of the mechanism, the posts Aancl B are restored to the normal position shown in Figure 1 .by the expansive action of the spring 'C, longitud n'a' g r of the posts -being limit qd by engage ment of the lugs i l-M of the posts with each other. .r i As willbe e'Vident frictiQnaI resistance is also j had during this releasing action to effect snubhing of the truck springs during recoih Referring next tothe e r r1b o dirnerit of the 'veni'iori 'illustrated in l iigures iand 5,,rny hockabsorbe'r comprises broadly: a pair m anda laterally xtefid'in'g'fiangem project; 1 ing from. hetbte t t m la am the It, base 'merrrb'er 'l'l, and fian'geKZ of the posts A and B'hereiiibefore described. h

The plate 1 iii oieachpC'Sst'ID and' E'pfsents a v f flat friction surface H a on" the inner side 'tifer'ebr" whichextends lengthwise of the s'a'me and is inclinedas' shownfi" The friction' sjurfac'esz o f th two posts are in intirnate'cont'act ii'ith each'iothr, as clearly illiistrate'd'inFigures' i' and 5. At the free endpfortion of the friction "plate 'of each?" post, a'lateifally inwardly extending; central stop lug I it is provided'ivhich' projects fror n jthe fric-f ,3 tion siir'fa-cel L3 and engages witht'he correspond ing stop lu'g H4 of the other friction post'j r The friction surface [3 'of thep'lat'efl I!) of' each post is provided with' a lengthwisextend ing slot H5 immediately'in ba'ck o'f the 1113 H4 and of asirleto slidiii'gly accommodates-e lug w of the other post. As shown" most clearly" in Figure" 5, the rug I isbf su'bst'afi tiallyfectangii lar cross sectionan'd the corrs'po'ndin slot H5 in which it is guided is of similar"tran'sversesec-"' tion. The inner'or rear wall of the slot H5 'of each post is correspondingly inclined toithe fri'ction surface H3 of said post andpresents lengthwise extending, flat friction surface 9, and the ,1ug N4 of each post presents an outer flat friction surface [20 correspondingly inclined to and cooperating with the friction surface H9 of the slot of the other post. As shown in Figure .7 4, theinner corner-sfof the posts arepreferably. beveled'ofi at theiif'free ends', as indicatedat l2||2|, to facilitate a ssernbling'of the device.

operates with the posts D and E in the same manner.

As will be clear from the description of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the structure thereof differs from that illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 only in that the limiting stop lugs of the posts are provided with friction surfaces which cooperate with friction surfaces provided by the rear walls of the guide slots for the lugs, thus providing friction surfaces in addition to the cooperating flat friction surfaces of the posts.

I claim:

In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a pair of followers at opposite ends of the device, said followers being movable toward and away from each other lengthwise of the device; of an inwardly projecting friction post on each follower having a lengthwise extending friction surface engaging the corresponding friction surface of the other post; a lug on each post at the outer end thereof protruding from the friction surface of, the post, said lug having a flat, lengthwise 3 extending friction surface; a lengthwise extending guide slot rearwardly of the lug of each post, said slot having a lengthwise extending inner wall presenting a flat friction surface, the lug of each post being guided in the slot of the other post, with the friction surface of said lug in engagement with the friction surface of said inner wall of said slot, the lug of each post being engageable with the lug of the other post to limit lengthwise separation of said posts; and a coil spring bearing at opposite ends on said followers and yieldingly opposing relative lengthwise movement of said posts toward each other.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,306,392 Light Dec. 29, 1942 2,372,936 Cottrell Apr. 3, 1945 2,410,160 Haseltine Oct. 29, 1946 2,410,165 Johnson et a1. Oct. 29, 1946 

